Dopamine D2 receptor gene variants

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of predicting antipsychotic response to drug therapy comprising testing a sample obtained from a subject for the presence of a polymorphism in the dopamine D2 receptor gene DRD2, wherein the presence of the rs1079598T allele, the rs1125394A allele or both is predictive of the subject being susceptible to drug therapy.

1 . A method of predicting antipsychotic response to drug therapy comprising,
 testing a sample obtained from a subject for the presence of a polymorphism in the dopamine D2 receptor gene DRD2, wherein the presence of the rs1079598T allele, the rs1125394A allele or both is predictive of the subject being susceptible to drug therapy.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presence of the rs1079598T allele and the rs1125394A allele is predictive of the subject being susceptible to drug therapy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is an African American subject. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is blood. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of testing comprises DNA extraction and PCR analysis, sequencing, 5′exonuclease fluorescence assay, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein drug therapy comprises a drug that blocks the dopamine D2 receptor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the drug therapy is clozapine therapy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the antipsychotic response comprises an improvement in one or more positive symptoms. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more positive symptoms comprise delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, catatonic behavior or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a schizophrenic subject. 
     
     
         11 . A method of predicting antipsychotic response of an African American schizophrenic subjects to clozapine therapy comprising,
 testing a sample obtained from the subject for the presence of a polymorphism in the dopamine D2 receptor gene DRD2, wherein the presence of the rs1079598T allele, the rs1125394A allele or both indicates that the subject is susceptible to clozapine therapy.   
     
     
         12 . A method of identifying the susceptibility of a schizophrenic subject to drug therapy comprising:
 testing a sample obtained from the subject for the presence of a polymorphism in the dopamine D2 receptor gene DRD2, wherein the presence of the rs1079598T allele, the rs1125394A allele or both indicates that the subject is susceptible to a drug therapy.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the presence of the rs1079598T allele and the rs1125394A allele indicates that the subject is susceptible to drug therapy. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the subject is an African American subject. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sample is blood. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of testing comprises DNA extraction and PCR analysis, sequencing, 5′exonuclease fluorescence assay, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein drug therapy comprises a drug that interacts with the dopamine D2 receptor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the drug therapy comprises clozapine therapy. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said drug therapy results improvement in positive symptoms. 
     
     
         20 . A method of identifying susceptibility of an African American schizophrenic subject to clozapine therapy comprising:
 testing a sample obtained from the subject for the presence of a polymorphism in the dopamine D2 receptor gene DRD2, wherein the presence of the rs1079598T allele, the rs1125394A allele or both indicates that the subject is susceptible to clozapine therapy.